Hillsboro Elementary student council presents end-of-year recap for school board

Members of the Hillsboro Elementary student council recapped the activities of the 2024-25 school year in a presentation to the Hillsboro City Schools Board of Education at the board’s Monday, May 19 meeting.

The student council was accompanied by Hillsboro Intermediate principal Darci Miles and their advisers, Jennifer Chaney and Mark Koller. Council members include fifth graders Austin Bohrer, Mallory Bryson, Gabby Bushatz, Morgan Kratzmeier, Addison Mootz, Brayley Pitzer, Annie Rusch, Rylee Scott, Jolee Setty, Carl Shawhan, Blakely Smith, Brynn Spruell and Darcee Wolf.

“We are so very proud of everything that our students do for us,” Miles said. “They are an integral part of our student body and are excellent role models for all of our students, kindergarten through fifth grade. They will kind of wow you with all of the things that they do, and they haven't included even half of it in here.

“We are super appreciative of Mrs. Chaney and Mr. Koller for all of the time that they devote in preparing our students for leadership and service.”

According to Kratzmeier and Pitzer, the students started out the school year by running for council, including obtaining teachers’ permission and making campaign posters.

The council delivers the morning announcements each day and leads the students in the Pledge of Allegiance, as reported by Kratzmeier and Smith. The announcements include sharing the lunch menu, reminding students of their PBIS expectations and naming the banking winner every Thursday.

According to Rusch and Spruell, the group worked together to keep the school clean, picking up trash on school grounds. Pitzer and Setty said that during their time on council, they collaborated with teachers, principals and secretaries regularly. Bryson and Setty also reported that the council volunteers with daily activities, including assisting with kindergarten/first grade lunch and helping the secretary with various tasks.

Along with those regular activities, the group was responsible for a number of community service activities throughout the year.

Bryson and Mootz said the student council organized the collection of pop tabs to donate to the Ronald McDonald House, with a total of 195,127 grams of pop tabs thus far.

Shawhan spoke about two projects — one involving partnering with other students on designing posters that were placed on cars during homecoming, as well as organizing a food drive with the kindergarten and first grade classes to benefit Area 937.

Scott and Wolf said that the council collected and donated a total of 758 hygiene products, socks, books, puzzles and other items for area nursing home residents, as the group also made posters for the nursing homes.

Bushatz and Spruell spoke about the numerous cards that student council made throughout the year, which were sent or presented to military bases, local veterans, custodians, school counselors and teachers.

Scott and Shawhan discussed fundraisers throughout the year to benefit the Highland County Dog Pound and Humane Society (165 items collected to donate) and the Highland County Society for Children and Adults ($552.94 raised to donate).

In other activities, Mootz and Rusch said the student council hosted a talent show, where each class had an act selected to compete. Pitzer and Setty reported that the group also attended a leadership conference at Wright State University, followed by attending a women’s basketball game.
 
On behalf of the student council, Bohrer thanked the school board for their time and attention, with council members also approaching the school board and administrators to shake their hands before exiting. The school board in turn thanked council for their efforts through the school year and for their presentation, giving the students a round of applause.

“We appreciate everything you guys did,” school board president Bill Myers said. “That was awesome.”

Superintendent Tim Davis spoke about how the student council’s service in elementary school sets them up for success for the remainder of their education.

“The different fifth graders that come in — those are our leaders when they become seniors,” Davis said. “Seeing that large group of young leaders is very inspiring for our district, and I think we're in good hands with the kids that we had up here today.”

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